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Applying for Leadership Positions
Everyone at some point in their lives has to write an application for a higher position, whether it be leadership roles or other applications. This can be a daunting challenge as finding the right balance between new ideas provided and selling yourself can cause many to spend unnecessary hours editing the same speech again and again. Here at the Goalkeeper we break writing down these speeches into 8 easy steps you can follow when writing yourself.
1. Believe in yourself
Even before you start writing, you have to know that you are applying for this role because you know you are capable and the best person for the role. All your job is to help see the interviewer the same reasoning
2. Write early
It is very easy to put off writing your application until the last day, but the earlier you start and send it in, the better you look as a candidate and you also have more time to tweak the application rather than hurry and make mistakes on the last day
3. Get content on the page
It can seem frustrating at times when you are struggling to get a good flow and can’t seem to find the right sentence. Yet just writing the main information you want to talk about makes the job easier. Remember it is just your first draft, not every sentence has to be perfect, focus on getting across your key points and work on fluency later
4. Structure
Structuring your application to have a clear beginning, middle and end is more important than it seems. From a general overview your application should look something like this: Introduction, why do you want the role, what skills do you possess that meet the role requirements and what will you do with the role
5. Use formal language
This may come naturally to some yet is still something one must keep in mind. Using slang and informal tone can present you as a casual candidate and makes you stand out for the wrong reasons.
6. Keep skills relevant
It's okay to be proud of the hot dog eating contest you won in 2014. However this adds zero value to your application and therefore relates your skills and achievements to the skills required for the job. For example if you mention you have competed in a sports team, you state how this helped you build your teamwork skills
7. Find the balance
It is easy to get carried away mentioning how amazing you are and while no one is denying this, make sure to keep a balance between yourself as an applicant and the role itself, especially stating how grateful you are. Don’t sell yourself short, just think twice before typing this is why I am the best person for the 5th time in the paragraph.
8. Stand out
Find the thing that makes you stand out as an applicant and embellish it in your application, if you don’t stand out from the monotony of straight A students then you are lacking in your overall candidacy
9. Editing
Your first draft will not be perfect and therefore editing is vital, yet the 100th draft won’t be getting better than the 10 before it. Trust your gut.
10. Strong end
This goes without saying but your final sentence has to bring your application together and leave a lasting impression. Asking for opinions can help you tweak it to maximize your application.
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